Rihanna Removed From ‘Thursday Night Football’ Pregame Show Amid Ray Rice Controversy


Rihanna was dropped from the Thursday Night Football pregame show in order to make time for a discussion on Ray Rice’s domestic violence incident, a decision that has caused some controversy itself.

The broadcast was supposed to feature the 2009 song “Run This Town,” which features Rihanna and Jay Z. A spokesman for the NFL said the song was removed over sensitivity to the Rice incident. Rihanna was a victim of domestic abuse in 2009 when she was attacked by then-boyfriend Chris Brown.

Some criticized the NFL and CBS for what appeared to be an overreaction, but the chairman of CBS Sports defended the decision.

“We thought… we needed to have the appropriate tone and coverage,” Sean McManus said. “A lot of the production elements we wanted in the show are being eliminated because of time or tone.”

Ray Rice was cut by the Baltimore Ravens on Monday after new video emerged showing him assaulting then-fiancee Janay Palmer inside an Atlantic City casino elevator. Previous video showed the aftermath of the attack, and the NFL instituted a controversial two-game ban on Rice.

But the NFL reversed course with the release of the new video, suspending Rice indefinitely.

Rihanna’s domestic violence incident has come back to headlines in recent days as well. In a candid interview with Billboard magazine, Chris Brown said the incident was a wake up call.

“[R]edemption is being able to be completely humble and love yourself,” he said.

Brown added that he is trying to gain perspective from his younger, more volatile days.

“There was a purpose,” he said. “Maybe I was out of control too much. Or I needed something to humble me to the point where I get it. At that point, I didn’t look at it as trying to get out of the situation but learn from it.”

Rihanna has not commented on being removed from the Thursday Night Football broadcast.

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